Blog: Produttori del Barbaresco · Piemont

As early as 1884, the Cantina Sociale del Castello was founded as a forerunner of the current cooperative. Its initiator and driving force was Domizio Cavazza, one of the historical figures of Piedmontese viticulture. After this association dissolved under the pressure of fascism, it was only in 1958, on the initiative of the priest, that a new beginning was made. With 95 hectares of vines, the members now control almost a quarter of the Barbaresco acreage and produce a number of remarkable wines: first and foremost the Barbaresco sites, which are bottled only in good years and account for 40 percent of production.

The rest is made up of regular Barbaresco and Nebbiolo table wines, as the 'Produttori' process only the members' Nebbiolo grapes, leaving the others for sale. A committee determines the value of the grapes, which is based on sugar content but can be adjusted up or down depending on the vintage and condition of the grapes.

In the cooperative's cellars, all the wooden barrels have long since been retreaded, which benefits quality. 85 percent of the members' vineyards are located in Barbaresco and are characterized by their calcareous marl soils. The differences between the individual sites are only slight from a pedological point of view; at most, the lime or sand content varies, which is why the differences between the site wines are probably due more to the different microclimates. - Gerardo [TS12/22]